apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Exterior Paint Consider that your exterior paint treatment isn't just there to look good, it also acts as a protective layer to your home from the sun, wind and rain. Depending on the quality of paint you use (i.e. the more money you save now might mean you have to repaint sooner), houses need repainting every 3-4 years in harsher climates. In more temperate climates, you can get away with repainting every 8-10 years. Consider adopting a system where you repaint parts of your home every few years, so as not to have to take on the hefty task of repainting an entire house at once. Don't have a painted exterior? Don't think you're off the hook. Do the research into whatever your exterior material is and what you can do to make sure it lasts.

Roof Waiting until your roof leaks to replace it can cause major structural damage if you're not careful. Though it may be tempting to put off such pricey repairs when it seems like your roof is fine, consider getting roof inspections performed on your house every year to assess the health of your roof. Although again weather is a huge factor, a wood shingle roof can last 20-25 years, a composition shingle roof anywhere from 12-20 years and a metal roof 50-75 years.

Appliances You might also be tempted to let older appliances run as long as they can, but consider the money you'd be saving if you invested in many of the energy-saving appliances available today. Not to mention the bonus of avoiding floods of your home from appliances that die. The biggest energy hogs to consider replacing first: A/C, television, refridgerator, washer and dryer, dishwasher and microwave.

Share your horror stories of an appliance or other house necessity failing and how you handled the situation. Give any tips or lessons you learned!

[Photo credit: Roof photos: hometips.com and customtileroofing.com; Peeling paint from inspect-ny.com; fridge from bornagaininmaganda.net]